After more than 35 years in the mortgage business, 14 of which were spent as Linn Area’s Director of Mortgage Lending, Larry Potter will retire in September.
Larry has shaped Linn Area Credit Union’s mortgage department in several ways. An advocate of a team-based environment, Larry eliminated the silos that had previously dominated the mortgage department. Larry’s willingness to mentor and train team members who had limited to no mortgage background created an incredibly productive team with broad experience across the organization.
During his tenure, Larry migrated the mortgage department from paper to electronic files. He also supported initiatives to create operational efficiencies that smoothed the way for the mortgage team to be able to seamlessly process mortgages from start to finish remotely, even as the mortgage and refinancing market was booming. Larry’s optimistic, can-do approach has enabled the mortgage team to practically double their number of originations, while adding only a couple of extra team members over the years.
But these professional accomplishments are only part of what Larry has brought to Linn Area. On a more personal level, we’ll all miss Larry’s big ol’ smile, his easygoing ways, and how he makes everyone feel like they’re part of his family.
In retirement, Larry plans to spend time with his grandchildren and do a lot of cycling. (He has completed 32 RAGBRAIs and is shooting for 50!) Congratulations on your retirement, Larry!